Austria announced the expulsion of three Russian Embassy staff over an “antenna forest” discovered on the roofs of diplomatic buildings, that could potentially be used for spying, on Monday.
Austria’s main domestic intelligence service, the Directorate for State Security and Intelligence, had been keeping an eye on the numerous satellite dishes placed on top of Russian buildings in Vienna, specifically a residential complex for diplomatic staff, and cautioned against them being used to intercept other states’ satellite communications.
Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger confirmed in a statement that the three officials had left the country.
“It is unacceptable that diplomatic immunity be used to commit espionage,” she said.
14 Russian diplomats have been officially confirmed to be expelled by Austria since 2020.
The Russian embassy responded to Vienna’s move in a statement on its website, saying the expelled envoys were from the embassy and Russia’s mission to the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). The embassy warned that Moscow would react harshly to the expulsion, which it described to be “justified by nothing”.
Head of the Directorate for State Security and Intelligence Sylvia Mayer addressed a press conference, responding to the nature of the threats posed by the installations. Meyers said it had to do with their size and nature and did not provide information on the timing of the expulsions.
Vienna is a key diplomatic centre and hosts the OSCE and United Nations organisations such as International Atomic Energy Agency. It is common for larger countries like Russia and the United States to have separate ambassadors to Austria, the OSCE, and the UN organisations. However, the large diplomatic presence also poses a threat to the city, being a haven for spies. It provides an opportunity for enemy states to position intelligence agents in the country under the cover of diplomatic immunity.
